It Was Only a Kiss
by willowwood
Summary: Brennan comes to realise the implications of her actions. [Spoilers for The Santa In the Slush]


**Title:** It Was _Only _a Kiss.  
**Author:** willowwood  
**Character(s)/Pairing:** Angela Montenegro, Temperance Brennan, Camille Saroyan/Minor hints towards Booth/Brennan in the unrequited sense of the word.  
**Rating:** PG  
**Words:** 921  
**Disclaimer:** If I owned this show, TJ Thyne wouldn't be at the top of my Christmas list.  
**Authors Notes:** Ok so I wrote this before I actually managed to watch the episode, therefore everything within this story is based purely on spoilers, hearsay and video clips that I watched, and so I hold no responsibility for incongruities with the actual episode. Written _very_ loosely for the prompt of _'Men'_ given to me by callieach (OddEnthusiasms) over on my LJ  
**Summary:** Brennan comes to realise the implications of her actions. [Spoilers for _The Santa In the Slush_

It Was _Only_ a Kiss

Angela looked up from her sketch pad as her best friend walked into her office for the first time since they'd been back at work. "Hey Sweetie! How was your vacation?"

"I kissed Booth" The anthropologist suddenly blurted out, ignoring the artists question.

"What?" Angela asked, unable to disguise the shock that was evident in her tone.

"I kissed Booth, before we broke up for the holidays"

"You…kissed…Booth?" She repeated, not entirely sure she was hearing her friend correctly.

"Yes"

"Oh. My. God!"

"It was for a bribe-" Brennan began to explain, believing it'd make everything clear.

"Please tell me you're kidding" Angela winced.

"What? I thought you of all people would be happy about this"

"You're really not kidding, are you?" The artists wince turned into a grimace.

"No! Caroline bribed me into kissing Booth, so that she'd arrange for me to spend Christmas Eve with my Dad and Russ"

"Oh. My. God!"

"You said that already" Brennan accused, rolling her eyes as she finally moved to take a seat opposite her best friend who now sat with her face buried between her hands.

"But…you. You kissed Booth. For. A. Bribe!"

"It didn't mean anything"

"And does Booth know that it was a bribe?" Angela asked her face still hidden.

"What? No!"

"Oh. My. God"

"You keep saying that!"

"Sweetie!-" Angela's head snapped up "-For somebody with a brain as big as yours, you really are an idiot sometimes"

"What? Why? It wasn't anything special - besides it was under some mistletoe"

When Angela shook her head, Brennan couldn't help but throw her hands up in exasperation "It lasted barely a minute. When I kissed him on the cheek it lasted longer than that"

"You kissed him on the cheek as well?" The artist asked, fighting the urge to slam her head against the desk in front of her, at her best friend's naivety.

"Yes, last week when he let Russ see Hayley before putting him in jail"

"Like I said Sweetie. I love you, but you're an idiot"

It was at that point that Cam appeared in the doorway to Angela's office "Morning Ladies. Did you have a nice vacation?"

"Brennan kissed Booth" Angela exclaimed immediately, ignoring the other woman's greeting.

"_Really?_"

"Angela!"

"What! You told her about my date with Hodgins"

"I never realised we were keeping score-" The anthropologist began as her boss came and perched on the edge of Angela's desk, watching her expectedly an unmistakeable hint of amusement in her features "-it was nothing. Just a festive kiss beneath some mistletoe that I was bribed into doing"

"-Which Booth doesn't know about" Angela added.

"O-oh"

"What?" Brennan exclaimed once more "I don't see what the problem is"

"Bren, you only have to brush hands with a guy, as you're both reaching for a cup of coffee and he'll think you want to have sex with him" The artist explained.

"Not to mention the fact that Seeley's crazy about you" Angela waved a hand at the pathologist, indicating that she agreed with the other woman completely.

"So you think that just because I kissed him, Booth's now under the impression that I want to have sex with him?"

"Yes!" Both women practically shouted.

"But you went on a date with Hodgins, when he was crazy about you - And you kissed him didn't you?"

"Yes…..but that's different"

"Why? How is that different" The anthropologist asked confused.

"Because she _wanted_ to have sex with Hodgins, she just wouldn't admit it to herself" Cam replied matter-of-factly.

"Is that true?" Brennan asked unable to hide the small smile that appeared at Angela's slightly shocked expression. Shrugging it off the artist replied "Putting it a little bluntly, but yeah. So unless you yourself are ready to admit to something, you've got a problem"

"I don't believe there will be-" She began adamantly ignoring the sceptical frowns that both Cam and Angela offered her "-Booth's a grown man-"

"-There's no such thing as a grown man, Sweetie" Instinctually Brennan turned to look at Cam, hoping that the FBI Agents ex-girlfriend would be able to back her up.

"Sorry Dr Brennan, but I'm with Angela on this one"

Brennan rolled her eyes "Booth's mature enough to understand that it was merely a kiss underneath a piece of carefully placed mistletoe…." She trailed off as the sound of footsteps approached Angela's office and all three women turned to see the doorway suddenly become filled with Seeley Booth's hulking figure.

"Bones! There you are-" He greeted, completely ignoring the presence of the other two women "-So you ready to hit the road?"

Brennan turned to look at Angela and Cam, only to find both of them giving her a knowing look. There was no denying that there was definitely something different about her partner - an unmistakable twinkle in his eyes, an almost arrogant smugness in his demeanour and the smirk that pulled at his lips was almost nauseating.

"Yeah, I just need to get my coat and I'll meet you out front" she finally answered.

Booth shrugged, his smirk never wavering "No, that's ok, I'll wait"

Brennan watched as Cam stood and left the artists office, a somewhat sympathetic smile on her lips. As she moved to follow, she cast another quick look at her best friend, who merely picked up her pencil and prepared to resume her sketch.

"No! No problem at all" The artist whispered, watching as Brennan left her office and headed across the lab, Booth following closely in her wake.

**The End**


End file.
